Tony Newton, Baron Newton of Braintree

Antony Harold Newton, Baron Newton of Braintree, OBE, PC, DL (29 August 1937 – 25 March 2012) was a British Conservative politician and former Cabinet member. He was the member of Parliament for Braintree from 1974–1997, and was later a member of the House of Lords.^[1]

Early life

Newton was born in Harwich, Essex. He was educated at Friends School Saffron Walden and Trinity College, Oxford, where he was President of Oxford University Conservative Association and the Union.^[2] He unsuccessfully fought Sheffield Brightside in the 1970 General Election. In the 1972 Birthday Honours, Newton was appointed to the Order of the British Empire as an Officer (OBE).^[3]

Member of Parliament

Newton was first elected for the new constituency of Braintree in February 1974 with a majority of 2,001,^[4] and successfully retained the seat in the October 1974 general election with a reduced majority of 1,090.^[5] The Conservative victory at the 1979 general election boosted his majority dramatically to 12,518,^[6] and it increased at every subsequent election to a high of 17,494 at the 1992 general election^[7] before his defeat in the Labour landslide at the 1997 general election.

In government

Newton was appointed a government whip when the Conservatives came to power in 1979. In 1982 he moved to a junior ministerial position at the Department of Health and Social Security, where he remained until 1988, becoming Minister for Social Security and Disabled People in 1984, and Minister for Health in 1986.

In the 1988 New Year Honours, Newton was sworn of the Privy Council.^[8] He became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and a minister at the DTI for a year, before being promoted to Secretary of State for Social Security from 1989 to 1992, and then taking up the positions of Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons until 1997. His discretion about John Major's four-year affair with Edwina Currie is credited with enabling Major to become prime minister.^[9]

Peerage

In the 1997 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours, after Newton lost his seat, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Newton of Braintree, of Coggeshall in the County of Essex.^[10]

He attempted to be selected for the 1999 European Parliament Election, but was unsuccessful.^[11]

Newton chaired the Hansard Society Commission on Parliamentary Scrutiny which ran from 1999 to 2001. The Commission concluded that Parliament was being left behind by changes in the constitution, government and society and set out reforms for improving its function.^[12][13]

On 1 November 2007 he was appointed the first chairman of the new Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council.

Personal life

Newton was married to Janet Huxley from 1962 until they divorced in 1986. He married Patricia Gilthorpe later that year. He is survived by his two daughters from his first marriage.^[2]

Styles of address

• 1937-1972: Mr Tony Newton
• 1972-1974: Mr Tony Newton OBE
• 1974-1988: Mr Tony Newton OBE MP
• 1988-1997: The Right Honourable Tony Newton OBE MP
• 1997: The Right Honourable Tony Newton OBE
• 1997-2012: The Right Honourable The Lord Newton of Braintree OBE PC

References

Leaders of the House of Commons
Walpole Sandys Pelham Robinson H Fox Pitt the Elder Vacant (caretaker ministry) Pitt the Elder Grenville H Fox Grenville Conway North C Fox Townshend (C Fox/North) Pitt the Younger Addington Pitt the Younger C Fox Howick Perceval Castlereagh Canning Huskisson Peel Althorp Peel Russell Disraeli Russell Palmerston Disraeli Palmerston Gladstone Disraeli Gladstone Northcote Gladstone Hicks-Beach Gladstone R Churchill Smith Balfour Gladstone Harcourt Balfour Campbell-Bannerman Asquith Bonar Law A Chamberlain Bonar Law Baldwin MacDonald Baldwin MacDonald Baldwin MacDonald Baldwin N Chamberlain W Churchill Cripps Eden Morrison Chuter Ede Crookshank Butler Macleod Lloyd Bowden Crossman Peart Whitelaw Carr Prior Short Foot St John-Stevas Pym Biffen Wakeham Howe MacGregor Newton Taylor Beckett Cook Reid Hain Hoon Straw Harman Young Lansley Hague Grayling Lidington

Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions
Ministers of Pensions	Barnes Hodge Worthington-Evans Macpherson Tryon Roberts Tryon Roberts Tryon Hudson Ramsbotham Womersley Paling Hynd Buchanan Marquand Isaacs Heathcoat-Amory
Ministers of Social Insurance/National Insurance	Jowitt Hore-Belisha Griffiths Summerskill Peake
Ministers of Pensions and National Insurance	Peake Boyd-Carpenter Macpherson Wood Herbison
Ministers of Social Security	Herbison Hart
Secretaries of State for Social Services	Crossman Joseph Castle Ennals Jenkin Fowler Moore
Secretaries of State for Social Security	Moore Newton Lilley Harman Darling
Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions	Darling Smith Johnson Blunkett Hutton Hain Purnell Cooper Duncan Smith Crabb Green

Thatcher Cabinet
Humphrey Atkins Kenneth Baker Lord Belstead John Biffen Leon Brittan Peter Brooke Mark Carlisle Lord Carrington Paul Channon Kenneth Clarke Lord Cockfield Nicholas Edwards Norman Fowler Ian Gilmour Lord Gowrie John Gummer Lord Havers Quintin Hogg Michael Heseltine Michael Howard Sir Geoffrey Howe David Howell David Hunt Douglas Hurd Patrick Jenkin Michael Jopling Keith Joseph Tom King Norman Lamont Nigel Lawson Peter Lilley John MacGregor James Mackay John Major Angus Maude John Moore Tony Newton John Nott Cecil Parkinson Chris Patten Jim Prior Francis Pym Peter Rees Nicholas Ridley Malcolm Rifkind Lord Soames Norman St John-Stevas Norman Tebbit Margaret Thatcher David Waddington John Wakeham William Waldegrave Peter Walker William Whitelaw Lord Young of Graffham George Younger

Major Cabinet
Cabinet Members	Jonathan Aitken Kenneth Baker Virginia Bottomley Peter Brooke Kenneth Clarke Viscount Cranborne Stephen Dorrell Michael Forsyth Roger Freeman John Gummer William Hague Jeremy Hanley Michael Heseltine Douglas Hogg Michael Howard David Hunt Douglas Hurd Tom King Norman Lamont Ian Lang Peter Lilley John MacGregor Lord Mackay John Major Brian Mawhinney Patrick Mayhew David Mellor Tony Newton Chris Patten John Patten Michael Portillo John Redwood Malcolm Rifkind Gillian Shephard Lord Waddington Lord Wakeham William Waldegrave George Young
Also attended meetings	Norman Fowler Alastair Goodlad Richard Ryder